The 2013 Rotax Pan American Challenge has hit the track in New Orleans, Louisiana. The final chance for drivers to qualify for next months Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals, this weekend also acts as a test for many drivers who are already qualified as NOLA Motorsports Park will host the Grand Finals.
With the Pan Am being an International event, this weekend’s event will award the winners of Junior, Senior, DD2 and DD2 Masters with tickets to the Grand Finals, with the winning drivers awarding their previously earned ticket from their respective National championships. Micro-Max and Mini-Max classes will also award three tickets per class, meaning no team in North America is set just yet.
After two days of practice, Friday saw official qualifying and heat #1 for every class. While a bright sunny sky welcomed everyone to the beautiful facility, a heavy rain storm rolled through at lunch, making for some interesting heat races.
Twenty-three of the best Rotax DD2 pilots fill the grid for the premier two-speed class this weekend and thus far, they haven’t disappointed. Leading the way in Qualifying, US Grand National Champion Daniel Formal (TonyKart) nipped Hungarian Ferenc Kancsar (CRG), while Canadian Champion Pier-Luc Ouellette (CRG) was third. American Joey Wimsett (CRG) was fourth with Andreas Backmann (TonyKart) of Sweden completing the top-five.
Marenello teammates Brendon Bain and Fred Woodley were tenth and eleventh while Alessandro Bizzotto (CRG) was twelfth.
Heat one would see Formal get out front early, until his floorpan came loose, eventually falling off. He managed to continue as Kancsar cruised away with the win. Formal surrendered second the Ouellette and settled for third with Belgiums Xen de Ruwe (CRG) fourth and American Fritz Leesmann (CRG) fifth after all the penalties were awarded.
Bain managed to take ninth at the line as Bizzotto fell to eleventh on the final lap, while Woodley ended up 19th.
Saturday will see drivers line up for their second and third heat races from the position they qualified.
